Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project 22 years of Operations.

The Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project has been operating since 2001. The system has two main objectives: to provide an ongoing supply of sand to the southern Gold Coast beaches; and to maintain a navigable entrance to the Tweed River. The project is a joint initiative of the Queensland and New South Wales Governments, and its ongoing success is demonstrated through the prosperity of the Tweed and southern Gold Coast region. The sand bypassing infrastructure is the equal largest fixed sand bypassing scheme in the world. It is designed to transport up to 500,000m3 of sand per year from south of the Tweed River entrance and discharge in Southern Queensland. Occasional maintenance dredging is necessary to maintain a navigable entrance to the Tweed River. As the O&M contractor since commencement in 2001, McConnell Dowell (MCD) has effectively managed mechanical, electrical, control system and structural assets with significant improvements in areas including corrosion control and materials used for jet pump components. MCD has adapted operations and maintenance to ensure that under often harsh coastal conditions, a reliable system uptime continues to be achieved. The bypassing and dredging operations have enabled sand delivery rates proportional to the natural rate of sediment transport within an ever-changing and dynamic nearshore coastal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]